There is a crisis with captive tigers across the nation, and the Obama administration must do something about it.

Tigers are kept in inhumane conditions at shoddy roadside zoos, and are funneled into the exotic pet trade. Photo by The HSUS.

By some estimates there are more tigers living in the United States today than there are remaining in the wild in Asia, because of federal loopholes that encourage reckless overbreeding and public handling of the animals. These tigers are kept in inhumane conditions at shoddy roadside zoos, are funneled into the exotic pet trade, and even dragged to shopping malls and fairs for photo ops.

While tigers are endangered in the wild, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently exempts mixed lineage or “generic” tigers from registration under its captive-bred wildlife regulations. Because of this lack of regulation the total number of tigers in our communities is unknown, and nearly all of them are held at unaccredited breeding facilities, substandard roadside zoos, pseudo-sanctuaries, traveling zoos, private menageries, and as personal pets. continue reading…

Humane education is one way the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s mission to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system can reach future generations. For example, at law schools across the nation, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund chapters (SALDF) do tremendous work in the field of animal law. But for younger children, and potential future SALDF members, HEART (Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers) initiates compassionate thinking about animals, and how they can be protected through the legal system. HEART’s brand-new resource guide aims to do just that.

Have a Heart summer campers on a field trip to Catskill Animal Sanctuary–courtesy ALDF Blog

Why is humane education so important? “Integrating humane education into the curriculum helps develop a culture of compassion,” says Meena Alagappan executive director of HEART. “Cultivating empathy in children is an effective way to prevent later violence toward animals,” she says. HEART is a national nonprofit that fosters compassion and respect for all living beings and the environment through empowering schoolchildren.

Each HEART lesson is designed by educational experts to provide age-appropriate ways to engage children with issues of compassion. With younger children, Meena notes, “it’s about getting them to relate to animals by understanding our similarities and learning interesting facts about the animals.”

Consider companion animal issues like abusive puppy mill breeding facilities and overcrowded shelters. In upper elementary math classes, HEART’s lessons help students measure how many animals result from one un-spayed dog and her mate in just two years—more than 600 puppies! Studying that exponential growth reinforces math skills while driving home the importance of animal protection laws. “Teachers love these activities,” Meena says, “because they help satisfy mandated learning standards and allow students to become more informed and responsible members of society.” continue reading…

Thirty-three Happy Homecomings and One Heartbreaker

— Our thanks to Animal Blawg, where this post originally appeared on March 17, 2015.

Anyone who works in the animal rights arena knows that a single day–nay, a single minute–can feature the most jubilant high and the utmost despairing low.

Image courtesy Animal Blawg.

One emotion follows on the heels of the other as news randomly enters your world: humans at their most compassionate and generous best–vigorously turning the wheels of justice for animals; humans at their most uncaring and depraved worst–deliberately evil monsters or indifferent agents of neglect, suffering, and death. How on earth to reconcile this?

This very scenario played out recently with good news about South American circus lions–33 of them (9 from Columbia; the rest from Peru)–who are being prepared to embark on the biggest airlift of its kind to The Wild Animal Sanctuary, a 720-acre refuge in Keenesburg, CO (video). Peru, as you might recall, banned wild animal circus acts in 2011, with the bill’s legislative champion inviting “parliamentarians from all countries to follow the example of Peru and ban wild animals in circuses, ending the suffering of animals.” Congressman Jose Urquizo went on to say, “That will make us a more modern and civilized society” (source). It’s taken a while to shutdown and confiscate every last wild animal, but it has come to pass. continue reading…

Earlier this week, U.S. Reps. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) reintroduced a critical piece of legislation to help domestic violence victims and their beloved pets. The Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, H.R. 1258, would amend the Violence Against Women Act to extend existing federal domestic violence protections to four-legged family members.

Image courtesy Animals & Politics/iStockphoto.

Only three percent of domestic violence shelters nationwide currently allow pets. Just like many pet owners stayed behind during Hurricane Katrina and put themselves at risk because they couldn’t bring their pets with them, many battered women remain in dangerous situations rather than leave a beloved pet behind with an abusive spouse or partner. The PAWS Act establishes a grant program so that domestic violence shelters can make accommodations for victims’ pets, keeping endangered women and their pets both safe and together. continue reading…

"Service Animal" Scammers (New Yorker): An increasing number of your neighbors have been keeping company with their pets in human-only establishments simply by claiming that the creatures are their licensed companion animals and are necessary to their mental well-being.

Why London’s pig café pop-up is a terrible idea for pigs: Teacup pigs are adorable. Unfortunately, they’re also a complete fabrication. But that isn’t stopping a local London specialty breeder and Yelp from putting on an adoption event to educate the public on “proper” micro pig care.